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so amply or punctually provided for as they ought to be, through their own fault, and that of the ecclesiastical body to which they belong. Were the duty of supporting well the ministry, preached as often and as plainly as it should be, they would be better provided for. As it is, they are enabled to live, with great economy, in comfort, and a faithful pastor will nowhere be allowed to starve. It is a great matter, too, that in no country in the world are ministers of the Gospel more respected by the people. A great many of them are well-educated men, and, with few exceptions, possess agreeable manners. Many of them belong to families of the first rank in the country;* and as they can at least give their children a good education, with the advantages of which, as well as of a good character, and the good name of their fathers, they are almost invariably prosperous, and often form alliances with the wealthiest and most distinguished families in the country.

fer somewhat as to the nature and amount of the required evidence of conversion, but all agree as to the necessity of having a truly regenerated ministry; it being obvious, that none should preach the Gospel who have not tasted its power, and submitted their hearts and lives to its transforming influence. How shall a man who does not possess "repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ," explain the nature of these to his fellow-men? And how can he who has not been made to exclaim, "Wo unto me if I preach not the Gospel!" discharge the office of a preacher with that earnest desire for the glory of God his Saviour, and for the eternal welfare of men, which alone can be approved in heaven, or be successful on earth? A regenerated and devoted ministry must be the first of ali earthly blessings to a church, and it is the only instrument that can effectually secure the morals of a community, and the stability of a government. In these sentiments I feel assured all evangelical Christians in the United States will concur. No greater curse could, in their opinion, befall a church, next to the abandonment of the true Gospel, than to have an unconverted ministry thrust upon it; and, indeed, the forward, and HOW THEY BECOME SETTLED latter evil would soon be followed by the

CHAPTER VI.

HOW MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL ARE BROUGHT

PASTORS.

ALL denominations of evangelical Christians in the United States hold it to be of the highest and most solemn importance, that no man should enter the holy ministry without well-founded scriptural evidence to his own mind and conscience, that he is "called of the Holy Ghost" to take that office upon him; nor is he admitted to it until he has satisfied the proper authorities of the church to which he belongs of the manifestation of that "call," and of his possessing, in addition to an unblemished character, the talents and acquirements necessary to his being a competent expounder of God's Word.

For a man to take upon him this sacred and responsible office merely that he may obtain an honourable place in society, or gain a decent livelihood, would be held in the highest degree wrong, dangerous to his own soul, and ruinous to the spiritual interests of all who might be committed to his charge. Evangelical Christians may dif

* I could mention, were it proper, many instances of this. One or two I may state without violating the rules of propriety. No man stood higher in American society than the late General Van Rensselaer, of Albany. One of his sons is labouring as a faithful minister in New-Jersey. The late Hon. Samuel L. Southard, of New-Jersey, was a man of distinguished talents, who had raised himself to the highest offices in the government of his native state, as well as in that of the Union, and died Vice-President of the same. One of his sons is a most worthy rector of an Episcopal church in New-Jersey. Mr. Southard, I judge from the name, which is common in France, was of Huguenot origin.

former.

Pious youths are brought forward to the ministry in various ways. Such persons are sometimes found in the situation of apprentices to mechanical trades, or of clerks, or shopmen, or following the plough on their father's farm. The pastor, or some member of the church to which they belong, having discovered their talents, may think these might be employed to advantage in the ministry, instead of being buried in such engagements. But their own desires should first be ascertained, and should they be found longing to proclaim a crucified Saviour to the world, they ought to be encouraged, while cherishing this feeling, to put themselves into a position for finding and following the will of God.

It is probably at the prayer-meeting, the Sabbath-school, or the Bible-class, of which I shall have occasion to speak at large hereafter, that the character and abilities of such young persons oftenest show themselves; and from these nurseries of the Church have come forth great numbers of men who are now engaged in the ministry throughout the United States. Many young men, also, who have entered our colleges with other views, become converted there, and are called to preach the Gospel.

When a pious youth of promising talents, and with a strong bent to the ministry, is found without the requisite education, or the means of obtaining it, he is recom mended to the Education Societies, which

have proved a great blessing to our church- satisfaction, the congregation agree to call es; and when approved of, he is carried him to be their pastor, in doing which they through the course of instruction which must proceed according to the established the church to which he belongs requires rules of the religious body to which they in all who would enter the ranks of its belong. Thus, in the Presbyterian Church, ministers. no call to become pastor of a vacant church can be presented to any one without the consent of the Presbytery within whose

can it be accepted without the consent of the Presbytery to which the minister who has received it belongs.

The process is much shorter in those churches which, without exacting a course of classical and scientific education at col-bounds the vacancy has taken place; nor lege, or the regular divinity course of a theological school, require only a wellgrounded knowledge of the Scriptures in the English tongue, and of the doctrines which they contain. After a suitable examination on the part of the proper church authorities, the candidate is permitted to exercise his gifts for a season, in order to ascertain whether he is likely to prove an acceptable and useful preacher; and if the result be favourable, he receives full ordination from the proper quarter.

In the Congregational churches of NewEngland, the practice in calling a pastor has been for the church or body of the communicants to make out a call, and for this to be followed by another from the whole congregation, or, rather, from the males who contribute towards the support of public worship, the amount of the proffered salary being stated in the latter call. Among the Methodists, the preachers In the Presbyterian, and most other churchspring from the Classes, as they are called.es, each pewholder, or each head of a famAt the meetings of these companies of professed believers and inquirers, the graces and gifts of pious young men are most commonly discovered. In due time they are brought forward to the quarterly meeting of all the classes of the district. They are there recommended to the notice of the presiding elder, and by him are authorized to teach and preach for a time, but not to administer the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper. Afterward they receive ordination from the hands of the bishop, first as deacons, and subsequently as presbyters or priests, and are employed to preach the Gospel, either as travelling or stationed ministers. In the Congregational Churches, young men are consecrated to the ministry by a council of ministers, commonly called an "association;" among the Presbyterians, by a presbytery; among the Episcopalians, by a bishop.

In all the churches of the United States, except the Methodists and Roman Catholics, the pastors are chosen by the people to whom they preach. Among the Methodists they are appointed by the Annual Conference, at which a bishop presides, regard being had to the wishes which may be expressed by the people in favour of certain ministers, as peculiarly fitted, in point of character and talents, for specific localities. The appointment of the priests to their respective churches among the Roman Catholics rests wholly with the bishops.

When a church belonging to any of the other denominations loses its pastor, by his death or removal to some other place, inquiry is first made for some one not yet settled, or who, if settled, would not object to change his charge, and who, it is thought, would prove acceptable to the flock. The person fixed upon is invited to preach a few times, and should he give

Nor

ily who subscribes towards the pastor's sal-
ary for himself and household, and others
who subscribe only for themselves, are al-
lowed a voice in the call. Such is the
more common practice, and yet there are
Presbyterian churches in which none but
members that are communicants can vote
in calling a pastor. If the people are to
be allowed a voice in calling their pas-
tors, it will be found difficult to withhold
that right from those who, though not
communicants, contribute as much, and
perhaps more, than those who are.
in a church and congregation in which the
people have been well instructed in the
truth, and where religion prospers, does
any evil of much consequence commonly
result from such an extension of the right
of voting on such occasions. For when
men have been faithfully instructed in the
Gospel, it is found that even the uncon-
verted will readily join in calling an effi-
cient minister, even although he be not
only orthodox, but very zealous and faith-
ful. Such men have sufficient discrimina-
tion to know, and often they will say it,
that if ever they are to become the reli-
gious men they hope one day to be, they
need a faithful pastor to secure that great
blessing. Such men have sense enough
to know that a light-minded, worldly, cold
preacher of the Gospel is not likely to
prove a blessing to them or their families.
But when church and congregation have
long been hearing "another Gospel," have
become hardened in error, and strongly at-
tached to damnable heresies, it were ab-
surd to expect the unconverted to prefer
and seek for a faithful minister. Such a
state of things should not be allowed to
occur. And then, with respect to all de-
nominations that have a government en-
compassing and controlling the churches
connected with them, there is, in the last

resort, a power to prevent the settlement within their own bounds with the preachof unworthy ministers in the churches un-ing of the Gospel, as well as to help in sending it to other parts of the country.

der their care.

CHAPTER VII

Two societies were formed, likewise, for the same object, among the Presbyterians and Reformed Dutch in the city of NewTHE VOLUNTARY PRINCIPLE DEVELOPED IN York, about the year 1819, and these supHOME MISSIONS.—AMERICAN HOME MISSION-ported a goodly number of missionaries,

ARY SOCIETY.

THUS much has the voluntary principle done for the longest-settled and most densely-peopled parts of the country. Let us now see what it does for new and thinly-peopled regions, where hundreds of new congregations are rising annually, without the means of maintaining the institutions of the Gospel by their own efforts. Such churches are to be found not only in the new settlements of the Far West, but also in the growing villages of the East.

chiefly in the new and feeble churches in the state of that name. In 1826 they were united into one body, and now form the American Home Missionary Society.*

This society, from its very outset, has advanced with great vigour, and been directed with singular zeal and energy. At its first meeting in 1827, it reported that in the course of the year that had closed it had employed 169 ministers, who had laboured in 196 congregations and missionary districts. Its receipts for the same This inability to support the public period amounted to 20,031 dollars. This preaching of the Gospel often arises from auspicious commencement must be asthe number of sects to be found in new cribed to its having assumed all the ensettlements, and even in some districts of gagements of the Domestic Missionary Sothe older states. In this respect diversityciety, out of which it sprang. The Society of sects sometimes causes a serious though soon drew into affiliation with it all the temporary evil, not to be compared with State Domestic Missionary Societies of the advantage resulting from it in the long | New-England, some of which, such as run. It is an evil, too, which generally those of Massachusetts and Connecticut, becomes less and less every year in any were of long standing and well estabgiven place; the little churches, however, lished.† weak at first, gradually becoming, through the increase of population, strong and independent, and what is now an evil disappearing, or, rather, as I hope to prove, being converted into a blessing.

It would be interesting to trace the history of an institution which has been so much blessed to a vast number of new and poor churches throughout all the states and territories of the American Confederacy. But we can only present a summary of its operations at two epochs, during the sixteen years that it has been distributing blessings with a liberal hand.

In the year ending May 1st, 1835, the

The most obvious way of aiding such feeble churches is, to form societies for this express object among the older and more flourishing churches in the Atlantic States. This has been done, and in this the voluntary principle has beautifully developed itself, particularly during the last and others, which do not comprise all the religious * The epithet American, employed by this society fifteen years. It began with some denom-denominations, has been greatly objected to as sainations not long after the Revolution; and vouring of arrogance, and as if intimating that the early in this century we find missionary whole of America belonged to them exclusively as a societies formed among the Congregation-ed the minds of those who use the word in the defield of labour. Such an idea probably never enteral churches of Massachusetts and Connec- nomination of their societies. All that they mean in ticut, for the purpose of sending ministers employing it is, to signify that the field to which to "the West," that is, the western part of their attention is directed is not a single state, or a the State of New-York.* The "Far West" few states, but the whole country. The American to them was the northern part of Ohio, Congregational churches in New-England and out Home Missionary Society embraces the orthodox which was then beginning to be the resort of it, the New School Presbyterians, and, to some of emigrants. The faithful men sent by extent, the Reformed Dutch, Lutheran, and German these societies into the wilderness were Reformed Churches. greatly blessed in their labours, and to them, under God, many of the now flourishing churches of those regions owe their existence. Missionary societies were subsequently formed in the other New-England States, for supplying destitute places * I have seen the maps which some of these pioneer missionaries made of the portions of the State of New-York which lie west of Albany, in the years 1796-97. What is now a densely-settled country was then almost a terra incognita. At present, the West, or frontier country, is about a thousand miles west of Albany, instead of lying just beyond it.

†These societies, in a great degree, manage their who labour within their bounds, and pay over the own affairs, appoint and support the missionaries surplus of their collections, if they have any, to the American Home Missionary Society. If they need help from that society at any time, they receive it. ployed sixty-eight missionaries (four fifths of all the In the year 1843 the Maine Missionary Society emCongregational churches in that state were planted by this society); that of New-Hampshire, forty-seven; that of Vermont, fifty-three; that of Massachusetts, seventy-eight; that of Connecticut, thirty-nine; and that of Rhode Island, three; making, in all, 289 missionaries sustained in young and feeble churchesin the six New-England States.

66

ers which have been just organized, and which need assistance. In this way hundreds of congregations have been built up, and hundreds are at this moment emerging from the weakness of childhood into the vigour of youth and manhood. In no case, however, does the Society do anything towards the erection of church edifices. The people must find these for themselves, and this they willingly do. The cheapness of materials in the new settlements, and in the villages of the interior, renders it easy to erect such houses as will suffice until the flock gathers strength, and can do something more.

society employed 719 agents and mission- | up the deficiency in the missionary's salaaries. Of these, 481 were settled as pas- ry. Thus they are stimulated and encourtors, or employed as stated supplies," in aged to help themselves, and as soon as single congregations; 185 extended their they can walk alone, if I may use the exlabours to two or three congregations | pression, the Society leaves them for otheach, and fifty were employed on larger districts. In all, 1050 congregations, missionary districts, and fields of agency, were thus supplied in whole or in part. The persons added to the churches under the care of the Society's missionaries that year were estimated at 5000; namely, 1700 by letters of recommendation from other churches, and 3300 by examination on profession of their faith. Several of the churches were reported to have been blessed with seasons of more than ordinary interest in religion; in the Sundayschools attached to them there were about 40,000 scholars, and about 12,000 persons attended the Bible-classes. The number of persons who had joined the temperance associations had reached 70,000. The expenditure amounted to 83,394 dollars; the receipts to 88,863.

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Let us now turn to what was done by the Society in the year ending 1st May, 1843. During that year it had 848 missionaries and agents, of whom 623 had been in its service the preceding year, and 225 were employed for the first time. These men laboured in all the States and Territories of the Union; a few, also, in Canada, and one in Texas. The number of Presbyterian and Congregational churches in Iowa and Wisconsin* had been greatly aug- | mented in the course of the year by the Society's means. The number of congregations and missionary stations occupied was 1047, and the Sunday-schools and Bible-classes, under the direction of the missionaries, were attended by 68,400 persons. In 308 congregations the sum of 13,000 dollars had been collected for religious and benevolent societies, and many of the feeble churches had contributed largely for them, in aid of missions to the heathen. There had been revivals in 233 churches, and 6858 conversions were reported as their fruits. And it was estimated that there were 146,000 members of temperance societies in the fields of the Society's operations. The disbursements of the society were 107,823 dollars; the receipts 100,804. The plan pursued by this society, and by all the other societies and boards established for the promotion of home missions, is never to support a missionary at its sole charges, if it can be avoided; but to give 100, or 150, or 200 dollars, rarely more than 100 or 120, to a young and feeble church, or two congregations near to each other, on condition of their making * In the autumn of the year which is just terminated (1843), this society sent thirty-eight young and well-educated ministers of the Gospel into the Territories of Wisconsin and Iowa.

The Society engages, in some cases, men of talent and experience to travel over a given district, and to ascertain at what points the people attached to one or other of the denominations which it represents might, with proper efforts, be formed into congregations. The labours of such agents are of the utmost importance, and they necessarily receive their whole salaries from the Society.

It is a beautiful feature in our institutions for domestic missions, that while encouraging and stimulating new and feeble congregations to do their utmost to secure for themselves the regular enjoyment of Gospel ordinances,* they cultivate the kindly feelings of churches in the older parts of the country, and more favourably situated. Many of the latter support one missionary, and some of them several each, in the new and destitute settlements, through the agency of the American Home Mission Society. Nay, there are juvenile societies in the Sunday-schools that support each of them one, and some even two or three missionaries, if not more. Individuals are to be found in the Atlantic States who support a missionary each, and thus preach the Gospel, as they say, "by proxy. Still more, there are persons in New-York and other cities, who have each paid the entire salary and travelling expenses of an agent labouring in a large district. One of these, with whom I have long been acquainted, a hatter, of by no means great fortune, who works with his hands at the trade, gave 600 dollars for years to support one such labourer in Ohio. Beautiful as this is, it is perhaps a finer sight still to see churches and congregations, which were aided by the Society in their day, now in their turn bearing a part, if not the whole expense of a missionary labouring in a congregation not yet emerged from the feeble state

* It is believed that the churches aided by the Society raise, in one way and another, nearly three times as much as they receive!

which they once were in themselves. And there are now many such throughout the United States.

In 1805 there was scarcely a Presbyterian or Congregational church in the district now covered by the seventeen most westerly counties of New-York. A few missionaries were sent thither at different times, but the increase was small until the Agency for Home Missions, now in connexion with the American Home Missionary Society, was established there in 1826. Now there are on this field 380 Presbyterian and Congregational churches, containing, it is supposed, 30,000 communicants. During the fifteen years of its operations, the American Home Missionary Society has aided 264 of those churches, and nearly 100 of them are now able to sustain the Gospel without assistance. The churches have nearly doubled since 1826, and the communicants have probably trebled. Such is the wonderful work God has wrought in this section of the state. Such has been the triumph of the Gospel. It is indeed the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

Passing by other facts showing the collateral good accomplished by this effort to plant the Gospel in Western New-York, we mention, that many of the foreign missionaries are the sons of those churches. One of them is now pastor of a church at the Sandwich Islands of 7000 members, principally gathered through the blessing of God on his labours. Besides repaying the parent society more than $60,000 expended on this field, those churches have given $40,000 to send the Gospel to the more destitute beyond them. Nor is this all; they have been most generous helpers of every good cause. In 1839, this small part of a state, where home missions have been vigorously sustained, paid to the American Board of Foreign Missions $14,000.

We conclude our notice of this society by giving the following extract from its Fourteenth Annual Report:

"The results, indeed, of that mysterious and wonder-working influence which a God of grace exerts through the ministry of reconciliation, and which he connects with the missionary enterprise, all surpass finite comprehension. While the missionaries are preaching Christ and Him crucified to the living, they are laying broad and deep the foundations of many generations; they are setting in motion trains of moral influences, which will not cease when they are dead; they are kindling up lights in Zion, which will shine brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. Churches, that were near unto death, are quickened, and become able of themselves to sustain the Gospel, and to hand down its blessings to those who shall come after them. New churches are organized, to throw open their portals to the

fathers, and the children, and the children's children, through many generations, and to send out their influences to the ends of the world. The organization, or resuscitation of a church--Heaven's own institutionthat may stand through all coming time, and bring its multitudes of redeemed ones to glory, is a great event. And to plant such churches, wherever there are souls to be gathered into them, our country over, and nurture them till they no longer need our aid, but become our most efficient fellow-labourers in hastening forward the universal reign of the Son of God, is surely a GREAT WORK! And yet, this is the work in which infinite condescension and mercy permits us, as friends of home missions, to engage, and some of which it is our privilege here to record."

CHAPTER VIII.

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF DOMESTIC MISSIONS,

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY.

PRESBYTERIANISM owes its foundation in the United States chiefly to persons who had been exiled from Scotland on account of their religious principles, and to Presbyterian emigrants from the north of Ireland. These were joined in many places by settlers from New-England, who had no objections to unite with them in forming congregations on Presbyterian principles. Presbyterians of Scottish and Irish origin coalesced in other places with Huguenots from France, and with colonists originally of the Dutch or German Reformed Churches. Thus did Presbyterian congregations begin to be formed towards the close of the seventeenth century. The first preachers were from Scotland, Ireland, and NewEngland. They were few in number at first, and were often invited to preach in neighbourhoods where some resident Presbyterians might desire to hear the Gospel preached by men of the same religious principles with themselves.

The first presbytery was constituted in 1705, and the first synod in 1716. After that the work of home missions began to acquire greater consistency. Ministers were sent out on preaching tours among the small Presbyterian flocks, or, rather, scattered groups of Presbyterian families, particularly in the Middle and Southern provinces. In 1741, the synod was divided into two bodies, one retaining the old name of Synod of Philadelphia, the other calling itself the Synod of New-York. The former, soon after being constituted, had its attention drawn, "not only to the wants of the people within their immediate bounds, but to those also of the emigrants who were rapidly extending themselves through

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